Google Remove Over 50 Malicious Apps from Android Market

Google acknowledge that over 50 apps in the Android Market have been infected with ‘DroidDream’ malware.

Google have removed over 50 apps from the Android Market, after
it was discovered these apps were infected with “DroidDream”
malware. According to the Google Mobile blog, infected apps take
advantage of known vulnerabilities which do not affect Android
versions 2.2.2 or higher. Google have also posted that attackers
have gathered “device-specific” information from affected devices,
which includes codes used to identify mobile devices and the
version of Android running on the infected device, but “given the
nature of the exploits, the attacker(s) could access other data.”
The Android Police have also written about an
infected app’s ability to download further code, in a post that
referred to DroidDream as “the mother of all Android malware.”

Google will begin remotely removing the malicious applications
from affected devices and will push an Android Market security
update to affected devices, which should undo the exploits and
prevent the attackers from accessing anymore information form the
device.